After midnight, the hospital buzzed with restless activity. Not a single one of the boys had left, and to their surprise, even more had arrived later on.
"I want to see Vice-Captain Poseidon!" Azazel declared, raising his hand in excitement.
"Me too! Me too!" Ezekiel chimed in eagerly.
"Let's go together. How about that?" one of the freshmen suggested.
"Huh?!" Claude shot him an annoyed look, "No way in the world am I letting you three troublemakers into the ICU together. Who knows, you might just drag him out with you on your way back!"
"Tch. We're not idiots like you," Ezekiel scoffed, his brow twitching in irritation.
"No, Aunt, listen to me!" Claude stepped in front of Layla, determined, "Let me go in with them. You have no idea what kind of nonsense they get up to at the academy!"
"Hey! You cause the most trouble yourself!" Haadi shot back.
"Huh?! It's Ezekiel! Always making illusions and messing things up!" Claude retorted.
Layla sighed as the bickering around her continued.
"Aunt, don't listen to them," Mirza interjected, "Honestly, let's be practical. We should let the older ones go first. Ebraham, Helios, and I should be the ones to visit him. And, even if were to be the only ones to visit him I won't mind."
Ebraham sacked his forehead in disbelief. "Oh? And where the hell am I in this equation?"
Lucifer crossed his arms, unimpressed.
"Who the hell do you think you are, making decisions like that?" Azazel smacked Mirza's back, irritated.
"Hey, you…?!" Mirza retorted.
From the sidelines, Sehan and Karin observed the unfolding chaos, gulping in silent understanding. Amidst the boys' squabble, Layla stood still but her presence burned with irritation, her patience visibly wearing thin.
And then, "This is a hospital, right?!" Layla's voice cut through the air, echoing through the corridor.
Helios and Sehan flinched. Karin and Poseidon's father blinked stunned while Sahil chuckled, clearly amused.
"Would you all keep it down? Or else, I swear, I won't let anyone in. Not even Helios!" Layla snapped, her tone final.
In an instant, the boys scattered, scurrying behind Sehan, Sahil and Helios for cover.
"I-I thought your mother didn't get angry?!" Lucifer whispered to Helios, still in shock. Helios blinked, "Only if you don't annoy her. You clearly annoyed her."
Layla exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples, "I told you to go in one at a time, didn't I? And yet here you are, trying to go in as a group. And making this much noise?"
One of the boys hesitated before sheepishly muttering, "We just thought… maybe if he heard our voices, he'd wake up sooner…"
Layla slowly turned to him with a deceptively sweet smile.
He swallowed hard, instantly regretting speaking up, "Sorry…"
Meanwhile, Sahil, who had been watching in amusement, chuckled under his breath, admiration flickering in his eyes. "Layla," he called gently.
Layla met his gaze, instantly reading his expression. With a sigh, she conceded, "Alright. You can go in, but three at a time. And no noise. AM. I. CLEAR?"
"Yes!!" came the enthusiastic response in unison.
One by one, the boys entered the ICU. Some ruffled Poseidon's hair affectionately. Some wiped away a tear, muttering dramatic monologues as if he could hear them. Some twirled in excitement, while others nearly crushed him in an embrace, only to be smacked back to reality by another teammate.
Outside the glass window, Layla sighed deeply as she watched their antics unfold. "This is exactly why I didn't want to send them in all at once," she muttered.
Sahil chuckled, "It's fine. Look at their faces, Layla. See the care in their eyes? Their love for him goes beyond words. This is just their way of lightening the situation."
Layla remained quiet, her gaze fixed on the boys inside. Their whispered greetings, bright smiles, and heartfelt concern filled the room. And despite everything, the exhaustion, the tension, her heart softened.
"Let's go," Claude said as Helios took a deep breath.
"We're the last ones, Captain. Let's hurry," Ezekiel urged, giving him a push forward.
Helios nodded, and the three of them stepped inside.
The room was eerily silent. So still it was almost suffocating. Honestly, if Helios had to sit here in complete silence for even half a day, he wasn't sure he'd make it. Poseidon, though, had always been different. His ability to endure this kind of stillness was beyond comparison.
"Hey there..." Claude murmured, setting the bouquet of flowers on the bedside table.
Ezekiel's gaze lingered on the medical equipment surrounding Poseidon, his expression darkening. He knew this sight all too well, his brother was also in a similar state. Quietly, he settled on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb anything.
Helios smiled softly as he reached out, ruffling Poseidon's hair, "You worked hard, didn't you? You must be exhausted," he whispered.
"As much as I want to tell you to rest more, little sea, you'd better wake up now and get out of your critical state," Claude added, pulling up a chair and gripping Poseidon's hand.
Ezekiel nodded, "He's right, Vice-captain. We're still scared... so please wake up."
But Poseidon remained unresponsive, his breathing steady, his body still.
Helios exhaled deeply, his brows knitting together. Then, in a quiet voice, he said, "You know... we lost the match."
Claude and Ezekiel didn't say a word.
"We promised you we'd win," Helios continued, his voice tinged with frustration, "But we didn't. Honestly, it stings. The way Kenzo grinned at the end. It drove me insane. But… he helped us get to you. I never thought I'd see that side of him."
Helios lowered his head slightly, his hair shadowing his face as he absentmindedly ran his fingers through Poseidon's hair, "Maybe I was too distracted back then? Or maybe Kenzo's team had just gotten better at chasing? But either way, it was exhilarating. Every single moment was a fight. We held on until the last ball." he inhaled sharply before continuing.
"When the match ended, for a second, I couldn't believe it. It felt like my whole world had shattered. But then, I realized. You were still fighting. Your battle wasn't over yet. And just like that, my determination came flooding back."
Helios smiled, though his lips trembled, "So take that determination, too, and come back. I'm… really bored without you."
At that moment, Poseidon's eyelashes fluttered. His fingers twitched.
Claude and Helios immediately blinked, leaning in.
"Little sea?!" Claude gasped.
Poseidon's eyelids lifted just enough to reveal his hazy gaze. He looked at them, weak, but present, as if to say, I'm here. I heard you.
Relief washed over Helios as he gently stroked Poseidon's hair, "Good boy… you did great."
Even with the oxygen mask covering most of his face, Poseidon managed the faintest of smiles. That was enough. He was back.
"I'm telling Aunt Layla!" Ezekiel announced before dashing out of the room.
The moment the door swung shut behind him, Poseidon's strength gave out. His vision blurred, his eyes drifted closed, and he slipped back into unconsciousness.
_____
Three days.
It had been three whole days since Poseidon woke up, and Helios still hadn't managed to see him awake even once.
Not once!
Between Poseidon sleeping more than a hibernating bear and Helios being drowned in academics, training, and the sheer absurdity of school responsibilities, Helios was starting to feel cursed.
"Seriously, why am I filling out match reports? I'm a cricketer, not an accountant!" he fumed, flipping through a stack of papers earlier that day. "You are the council president..." Claude recalled deadpan. Helios clicked his tongue.
Right now, none of that mattered. He was not about to let that happen again. So the very second the academy's dismissal bell rang, Helios bolted out of the cricket society gathering hall like a man escaping a hostage situation. Unfortunately, the real hostage situation was him.
"Helios! Hold on, hold on, just one second!" Mirza called, lunging forward with a paper in his hand.
Helios did not hold on. Or stop. Or even acknowledge Mirza's existence.
"Oi! Take this radio channel list to Poseidon for me!" Mirza yelled, running alongside him.
"Pass it to him yourself!" Helios shot back, weaving through students in the hallway like a pro-level obstacle course.
"What kind of captain ditches his team for his vice-captain?!" Mirza snapped, still trying to shove the sheet into his hand.
"The kind who hasn't seen his little brother awake in three days and is not letting a piece of paper ruin his chance!" Helios huffed, eyes locked on the exit.
Claude, watching this absolute spectacle unfold like prime-time television, casually took a sip from his juice box, "I bet five hundred rupees he ignores all of us and runs straight out."
"Oh, absolutely," Ezekiel nodded, "This is, like, the most focused I've ever seen him."
"Right? He's ignoring Mirza like he's an unpaid insurance," Haadi chuckled.
Azazel and Lucifer, just returning from the gym, exchanged bewildered glances, "What the hell is going on here…?"
Mirza, still sprinting alongside Helios, finally snapped, "HEL—!"
But before he could finish, he grabbed Helios's arm in one final, desperate attempt. Only for Helios to swerve around him with a sidestep so smooth it could've won an award.
"NOPE!" Helios shouted mid-stride, escaping like a wanted fugitive.
Mirza, now holding nothing but disappointment and regret, skidded to a stop, panting.
"You unbelievable little…" Claude, watching with an amused grin, patted his back, "It's okay, buddy. It was a good effort."
Ezekiel shook his head, arms crossed, "Nah, he was doomed from the start."
Mirza shot him an annoyed glare, but Ezekiel simply whistled innocently.
Haadi sighed dramatically, "It's fine. We'll just tell Poseidon about the radio channel, assuming Helios ever lets the poor guy rest in peace."
Mirza groaned, rubbing his face, "Why is he the captain honestly? He sometimes doesn't act like one!"
Claude shrugged, "Eh. He might not act like one, but he sure runs like one."
"Forget it. You know how he is when it comes to Poseidon. Just leave it. We'll give it to him ourselves," Ebraham said.
Mirza huffed, returning to his activities, "Alright,"